Weapon – Worship Thee

By: David E. Gehlke

Spurred by the emergence of The Devil’s Blood, the Satanic metal genre (no, not black metal, kids) is enjoying a mini-renaissance. Take the aforementioned Danish retro metal mongers, Colorado’s always-true-to-form Satan’s Host and Canada’s Weapon, and we have a solid trifecta of gimmick-free, Satan-loving metal. They probably all hate Glen Benton, too. Well, who doesn’t?

Drakonian Paradigm is Weapons’s first full-length (and first under Ajna Offensive) and is a vibrant, challenging slab of black/death metal. The band’s range is far and wide, oftentimes culling from the various channels of classic BM (think old Bathory, even Mercyful Fate) to brutal, unforgiving Floridian death metal. Guised under a deep lyrical scope, Weapon is the true embodiment of what black metal should be.

We caught up with mainman Vetis for a discussion on Weapon’s decidedly Satanic angle, as well as his current residence in Canada and influences. Read on…

Blistering.com: Conceptually, few bands are so authentically Satanic as Weapon. Where does Weapon succeed at this where so many fail?

Vetis: Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we are practicing Satanists. Everything we do is shaped by our religion, so it’s inevitable that the music would be vehemently Satanic as well. You have to remember that being ‘satanic’ is cool again nowadays for many alleged BM bands; for a while there it was all about National Socialism, pagan farmlands and weather reports.

Blistering.com: On a similar front, how does the tag of “Devil Worship Murder Music” apply to what you’re trying to accomplish?

Vetis: We worship the devil and our music should make you want to murder people; that’s one way of looking at it. Another way would be, we explore the mysteries of the devil and death.

Blistering.com: Do you think the tag “Satanic metal” has been misused?

Vetis: It has been misused mainly as marketing gimmicks by internet “labels” and pathetic, 2nd tier beer-thrash bands.

Blistering.com: For you, what is the beginning and end of real Satanic metal, black or not? Is it Mercyful Fate? Bathory?

Vetis: Mercyful Fate of course, was the first black metal band in its purest form. Nobody back then was singing about Satan with as much conviction as King Diamond.

Blistering.com: If the band gets saddled with the black metal tag, will you object?

Vetis: Would Mel Gibson shy away from being called Jew-hater? No! We embrace the term black metal wholeheartedly. If someone describes us as death metal that is also perfectly acceptable.

Blistering.com: You came to Alberta via Bangladesh. How have you assimilated into Canada and what, if any troubles have you incurred in the city’s metal scene?

Vetis: Well I have been living in Canada for a long time; I would probably have a harder time adjusting back to the Bengali way of life, if anything. The local metal scene in Alberta hates my guts due of my ‘arrogant’ ways. Since I don’t support hometown hero bands and participate in their bullshit “metal community” activities, I am quite loathed in these parts. It’s great.

Blistering.com: Describe your metal formative years and how vital they were in the creation of Weapon.

Vetis: When I was about 11 years of age I started with heavy metal bands like Dio, Scorpions, Judas Priest etc, and that’s perhaps where a lot of the inherent melody in Weapon comes from. A few years later I discovered bands like Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Mayhem, Morbid Angel, Mortuary Drape, etc. and that’s when I found my true calling. To this day, those are the bands that inspire me the most.

Blistering.com: How did Weapon hook up with the Ajna Offensive? It seems like the proper label home with Watain and Secrets of the Moon already on it…

Vetis: When things started going sideways with Full Moon, I approached Ajna about working together. I was already in touch with the label boss and we knew what could be expected from each other. The Ajna Offensive is a stellar label that focuses on quality and not quantity. This work ethic is very important for us.

Blistering.com: Where do you see Drakonian Paradigm fitting into the Weapon pantheon?

Vetis: It’s a bold statement that accurately describes all that we have done up until now, and all that is to come. Drakonian Paradigm is not a safe album with safe lyrics; the music is not even what most kids consider to be “troo”; but that is the Weapon way – raising the bar and challenging the mould.

Blistering.com: Drakonian Paradigm has a loose feel to it, which begs to ask: feeling over precision?

Vetis: Feeling over precision yes, but not sloppiness over precision. It’s very important for us that the members of Weapon are able to play their respective instruments properly. We don’t approach our music like prog metal bands so tend to have a very mechanical approach; ours is more organic and punchy.

Blistering.com: One of the strong points of the album is your willingness to experiment with outside instruments. Is there anything off-limits in the Weapon realm?

Vetis: None. As long as a certain instrument appeals to us, anything is possible. That being said, we have no intention of becoming one of those novelty bands that are known exclusively for incorporating different instruments.

Blistering.com: Finally, what’s on your plate for the rest of 2009 going into 2010?

Vetis: We are preparing for some gigs at the end of the year. The second album is also is works. 2010 will be a busy year for Weapon.

www.weaponchakra.com